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Monday, February 6, 2012

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Mexican food and soup. A veritable match made in heaven. And this soup tastes just like the chicken enchilada soup from Chili's, which I love. Cheesy and spicy, the flavors in this soup come together to warm you up from the inside out. Dave and I had this for dinner and loved it, plus it was amazing for leftovers. For a cold February night, this really hit the spot, with a smoky flavor in the chicken and nicely spiced from the jalapenos and seasonings. Plus, any dish that allows me to eat tortilla chips for dinner is a winner in my book.

I'm obsessed with Pinterest recently (follow me!) and found this recipe from Homemade by Holman through a friend's pin. Salivating, I printed the recipe right away knowing Dave would love it (ok, me too). I made a small adjustment in using chicken tenders rather than chicken breast (what was on hand), used a red pepper rather than green pepper (again, on hand) and only 2 jalapenos instead of the 4-6 in the original recipe--and I'm so glad I made that adjustment. We like our Mexican food with some heat, but any more jalapenos would have made this a two or three beer bowl of soup! (Yes, the beer became the required beverage for this tasty dish.) One other difference, again because of what was in my fridge, instead of cotija and pepperjack cheeses I included chipotle cheddar and colby jack. Both were perfect options. Enjoy this with a big bowl of tortilla chips and a nice cold beer.

While chicken is simmering, dice jalapenos, pepper and onion and mince garlic. (Note: When I sliced open my jalepenos, I noticed a really thick membrane, the white part that holds the seeds. That's where the bulk of the heat is, so I pulled out half. Between my chili powder and the chipotle cheddar, I knew this soup would have enough heat.)

Add tomatoes, jalapenos, pepper, onion and garlic to chicken stock. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until tomatoes start to break down.

Add black beans, corn and tomato sauce/paste and stir to incorporate.

Add chipotle cheddar and half of the colby jack cheese and stir to melt.

Chop, shred or cube chicken and return to pot. Cook for another 20 minutes, stirring often, until soup reached your desired consistency. If you like a thicker soup, add a few flour tortilla strips which will dissolve and thicken the broth.

Wash and chop cilantro. Add cilantro to soup, reserving some for garnish.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with tortilla chips and remaining cilantro and reserved colby jack cheese.